Heroes in Grief

Patricia Mazza Vlamis is an artist and photographer who aspires to use her talents to help others As an adult bereaved as a child, others who have experienced loss at a young age are near and dear to her heart. Her hope is that this book will help them process their feelings and remember their loved ones who have died. She is on a mission to create more resources for grieving children. Pat's Book...

Amy Shaw never set out to become an expert in navigating life’s hardest seasons, but through profound personal loss she gained deep insight into resilience, rebuilding, and purposeful living. She learned how to move forward with clarity, strength, and hope when circumstances offered no easy answers. Today, Amy is a keynote speaker, author, coach, and contemporary artist who brings both compassion...

Karen Bulinski Mathison was born in Buffalo, New York, and has spent her life learning that grief doesn't follow a timeline—it shatters one. She lost her husband to a brain aneurysm. She lost her father to cancer on Christmas, her 50th birthday. She lost the last man she loved, suddenly and without warning. She's navigated pet loss, miscarriage, secondary grief, and the isolation that comes when t...

With over five years of experience companioning others in grief, Terri believes that healing begins not with fixing, but with feeling. Her work is not about offering quick solutions or rushing through sorrow. It is about holding space gently and patiently, without judgment. She witnesses grief in all its rawness and stays present with it, honoring each person's pain as sacred and deeply personal....

Graham Maxey is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas and Pennsylvania and the Clinical Director for the Center for Grief and Traumatic Loss in Libertyville, Illinois. He holds a B.A and an M.Div. degree from Texas Christian University, and an M.A. in Behavioral Science from the University of Houston/Clear Lake. Part of his job as Clinical Director is to train licensed mental health workers i...

Camille Dan is the mother of Aaron in spirit, his two brothers, one sister, and a grandmother of two. She has professional experience as a Critical Care Registered Nurse, a Medical Technical Consultant for Feature Films and Television, and a Private Investment Manager. She is the Self-Published Author of "Aaron's Energy: An Unexpected Journey Through Grief and the Afterlife With My Brilliant Son"...

Vanessa May is a holistic grief coach and certified grief educator. She is also a nutritional therapist, wellbeing coach and spiritual life coach who has a new book out titled: 'When Grief Takes Everything.' Vanessa has written two other books: ‘Love Untethered: How to Live When Your Child Dies’ and ‘Supporting Your Grieving Client: A Guide for Wellness Practitioners’. She lives in London, UK. Van...

Holly Gainsboro , founder of Golden Heart Grief Support & Education , is a Grief Support Specialist/Coach & Grief Educator. Holly’s late husband, Steven, died in December 2010, from glioblastoma. Holly began her work in the grief field more than a decade ago, earning her first certification as a Grief Recovery Specialist. She continued her studies and received her certification as a Grief...

Charlene Lam is a curator, grief coach, TEDx speaker, and the author of Curating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One Dies. After her mother died suddenly in 2013, she leaned into her creativity and instincts as a curator to navigate her grief, an experience that became the foundation of her Curating Grief® philosophy and body of work. Through her platform The Gr...

About Sweta: From Cancer Scare to Ayurvedic Doctor A few years ago, I found myself on the cancer watch list. It was terrifying and life changing. I realized firsthand how conventional medicine alone wasn’t enough—it gave me tools, but it didn’t offer the complete healing I needed. That’s when I returned to Ayurveda. Through Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom, I not only transformed my own health but also d...

Emilio Parga is the Founder and Executive Director of The Solace Tree , a non-profit grief and loss center for children, teens, adults, and families in Reno, Nevada. He is the author of No Child Should Grieve Alone and many other journals and books for children, teens, and adults experiencing death and loss. Celebrating 23 Years at The Solace Tree, Emilio has co-founded numerous grief centers in N...

Bernadette Thompson is an Intuitive Ancestral Healer, a certified Grief and Trauma expert, an End-of-Life Doula, and a trauma-informed genealogist. Her journey began with a spiritually transformative experience through her own grief, an awakening that changed everything and guided her to where she is today. As the owner of Tell Me Our Story, Ancestral Healing works with those who feel the ache of...

Karin McLean is a writer and spiritual explorer whose life was forever changed after surviving the tragic accident that claimed her younger brother’s life. Through the powerful signs she began receiving from him, Karin was inspired to dive deep into the mysteries of the afterlife. She now shares her experiences and research to comfort and inspire others, reminding us that our loved ones are never...

Jack Gindi – “PapaJack” Founder, I Believe In Me Foundation | Creator, Believe. Become. Be You. | Real Estate Entrepreneur & Philanthropist Jack Gindi, known affectionately as  “PapaJack,”  is a lifelong entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who has turned decades of personal triumphs and setbacks into a mission of empowerment for families worldwide. After building and managing...

About Reshma: I’m a mom, a widow, and someone who knows the heart-wrenching pain of unexpected loss. In 2022, my husband died by suicide. In an instant, I became a solo parent responsible for 3 grieving children. This would be my hardest role yet. Our loss was unfathomable and I understand firsthand the deep questions, the uncertainty, and the overwhelming struggle to keep going. But through my jo...

Hannah's Bio: Hi, I’m Hannah—a coach, writer, and lover of wild places. My work is for people who want to reconnect with their whole and wild selves. I weave modern science, resilience psychology, and ancient wisdom to help you navigate life’s challenges and create your own path to aliveness. Once upon a time, I was a type-A doer—always hustling, always striving. My background is in engineering, e...

Nina created the  Grief and Light Podcast  after the sudden and unexpected loss of her only sibling, Yosef, as an authentic exploration of grief and life after loss. Through each conversation, she aims to give a voice to the griever’s experience, and foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world.  Beyond the podcast, Nina extends her heart-centered support through  The Community...

Wendela Whitcomb Marsh is an award-winning author, sought-after speaker, and autism expert specializing in late-diagnosed autism. Following a long and fulfilling career in education, she took early retirement to write. She has had eight books about autism published since then, garnering 6 prestigious book awards so far. She has been featured on podcasts, spoken in many venues, been interviewed on...

Jane Meakin is a gifted international medium known for her compassionate and evidential readings that bring comfort and connection to those seeking messages from the spirit world. With warmth and sensitivity, she helps reconnect you with loved ones who have passed, delivering messages of love, reassurance, and healing. Jane is especially honoured to work with Helping Parents Heal, offering bereave...

Tara Accardo is a Grief and Soul Purpose Coach and host of the Life With Grief Podcast . After losing her parents to cancer within six months of each other and navigating a traumatic birth experience, her journey of grieving led her to create Losses Become Gains —a community for fellow grievers that serves tools, resources, inspiration, and guidance on how to navigate grief, loss, and moving forwa...

A native New Yorker turned Coloradan, Amanda McKoy Flanagan masterfully combines urban insights with a nature-inspired philosophy in her approach to love and loss. Certified intuitive loss + empowerment coach, writing coach, energy healer, and motivational speaker, Amanda is the author of the award-winning inspirational memoir Trust Yourself to Be All In: Safe to Love and Let Go and host of the So...

My name is Megan, and I have been a Nurse since 2003. I have spent the majority of my career in Canada and the United States, working in Long Term Care and helping with death and dying. I have worked alongside hospice for the bulk of my career, understanding the complexities that come along with a terminal diagnosis. I am part of the  Death Positive Movement , helping others accept that...

Elreacy is a thanatologist, death educator, and certified grief educator with a background in global and behavioral health. Her multidisciplinary approach aims to advance public awareness while facilitating and contributing to critical discourse surrounding death, dying, and bereavement in our world. She is especially passionate about dismantling barriers that prevent access to equitable bereaveme...

As an award-winning author and grief advocate, Sheila K. Collins discovered the transformative power of art in healing after enduring the loss of two adult children. A former dancer and social work professor, she began performing the book she wrote about her experiences of loss, Warrior Mother: Fierce Love, Unbearable Loss and the Rituals that Heal. On tour she realized how deeply our Western cult...

In 2007, at 27 years old, and after 7 years of being her Caregiver, Sundari Malcolm lost her mother to Breast Cancer. 4 years later, her father died from the complications of Brain Cancer. Those experiences redirected her life and she's made it her mission to equip people with the tools they need to manage life’s greatest transitions. Sundari is a Birth, Grief and Death Doula. She is a Yoga, Breat...